by Joanne Panettieri, Editor: Kingdom Iconoclast

Chinatown Outreach Ministry

The book of 1 Peter tells us that the Body of Christ is a royal priesthood.

1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

Under the Levitical order only one tribe could enter the priesthood. Under the New Covenant we are a whole nation of priests and as such we offer spiritual sacrifices to God, through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:5 "you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

The assembling of the saints, as living stones, is God's Bethel, where we are to offer spiritual sacrifices to God! But as priests of this new order we ALSO must change our clothes before we can enter the presence of the Lord!

Isaiah 61 tells us that under the Reign of Messiah God gives us the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; (verse 3) and thatwe shall be called the priests of the Lord; and ministers of our God; (verse 6). It also says in verse 10 that God has "clothed us with the garments of salvation; he has covered us with the robe of righteousness"

This is none other that putting on Christ! Gal 3: 27 "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ."

We take off the old corrupt man and put on the new man!

Eph 4:20 "But that is not the way you learned Christ! 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self,which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."

Our New Garments:

Romans 13: 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Rom 13:14 "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires"

Through the faith that comes through the renewing of our minds we put on the new man:

Eph 4:23 "and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."

We are to put on the armor of God:

Eph 6:11 "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil."

1 Thes 5:8 "But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation."

The priest's bonnet was made out of white linen, which symbolizes righteousness (Rev. 19:8) and wisdom (Prov. 16:31) and speaks of having a renewed mind. The word bonnet is derived from a word which means hill, as in "to elevate or lift up". Our High Priest has "raised us up and seated us with him in heavenly places". (Eph 2:6) Our minds are raised out of the earthly realm and into the heavenly realm.

Psalm 24:7 says: "Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in"

The word "heads" is the Hebrew word ro'sh which means chief place, hill or summit and comes from an unused root meaning to "shake" the head (as most easily shaken, whether literally or figuratively. (Strongs 7218).

Our heads must be lifted up to heaven to see the righteousness that comes by faith to us through Jesus Christ. When our minds are renewed we are not easily shaken by the circumstances of the world. Psalm 62 tells us that our hope is in God he becomes our rock and we will not be shaken!

Psalm 62: 5 " For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

Having a renewed mind means that we have the mind of Christ and can see things through a Biblical perspective.

1 Cor 2: 14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: 16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" 16 But we have the mind of Christ.

This is a lifting of our heads! Psalm 3:3 But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.

As New Testament Priests we are to put on the new self:

Col 3:9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old selfwith its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

We are to put on the nature of Jesus:

Col 3:12 "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ... 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony."

These are the Holy Garments of the New Covenant Priests!

1. "The Priestly Garments"

http://www.bible-/ history.com/tabernacle/TAB4The_Priestly_Garments.htm